Students:
Summary:
The first chapter is about a seventeen year old boy named Holden Caulfield who have had a nervous breakdown, and he presents his story, from a mental institution where he is undergoing therapy. Holden looks back on his time in school.
- Holden has an older brother who's is at this time only refered to as B.D which is a famous writer in Hollywood.
- Holden has failed all of his subjects in school, so he tried out for - and got the job as - fencing manager.
- As he observes the football team, he is reminded and how he used to be a fencing manager. Later, he was fired as a fencing manager, because he forgot the fencing equipment in a subway.
- the school he was kicked out of is named Pencey School.
- He was not very fond of the school, as he express it himself: "The school is full of phonies and crooks".
- As he observes the football team play, he is reminded of his past as a football player himself, not professionally, but presumably for fun at a time where he was fond of the school and its students.
- The chapter end in Haulden running over to his History teacher's house, where he said his goodbyes to his teacher whom was sick.
The second chapter is taking place at the History teacher's house, Mr. Spencer, which doesn't seem to care much for Holden.
- As soon as he enters Mr. Spencer's room he immediatly regrets going there .
- The History teacher spends pretty much the entirety of the chapter lecturing Holden about how he has to take care of his future. i. e. he brings up, one of Holden's old work assignments and gives him further critique illustrated by Spencer reading it aloud to Holden just to prove to Holden how bad a student he was.
- Their further discussion revolves around the subject why Holden has dropped out of two other schools, named Whooton- and Elkton Hills.
- Holden tells Spencer about how he is not looking forward to telling his parents about how he got kicked out from another school.
- The chapter ends with Spencer making Holden feel inferior, as he tells his that Holden might not worry about his future now, but when he begins to do so, its too late
Class Discussion:
Pencey prep:
- High school
- We get the impression that it’s a boarding school for men, which is highly regarded
- Good academic ratings -> good ratings
- Just because the people are rich it doesn’t mean that they’re good people
- We get the impression that Holden is a bit rebellious.
- The school behavioural policy seems to be strict.
- Traditions
- The school may breed splendid men, but it doesn’t really mature the students.
- Pillars of society -> the school MAKES these pillars stand firm, as it creates and promotes social order.
The narrator:
- 1st person
- Sympathy ->
- The point of view is chosen because the reader shouldn’t be affected by other people in the story, and thus we only rely on Holden. (its in Holden’s hands)
- The stream of conciousness is used to underline that he is a teenager, as it seems that Holden is confused teenagers confused teenagers figuring out what they want with their lives.
- Due to the narrator bieng in 1st person we might get the impression that Holden is a little unreliable, as we only see it from his point of view.
Important concepts / keywords:
- Fear
- wasted opportunties
- change
- haunted past
- Bad